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Julius Walsh
Julius Richard Walsh '(Born August 2, 1968) is an American Politician who currently serves as a Representative of Michigan's 10th Congressional District. Walsh is a former CIA operative who was tasked with counterintelligence work, serving as the Assistant Deputy Director of the Directorate of Operations for several years. He later served as a special adviser to Vice President Charles Dickney during the Owen K. Shrub administration. Walsh sits on the House Select Committee on Intelligence and has been a key voice in the fight against Affirmative Action policy. Walsh notably endorsed Senator Matteos Egazarian in the 2016 Republican Primary contests, though he ultimately endorsed Republican nominee and future President Calvin Reed in the general election. Early Life and Career Walsh was born in Flint, Michigan, the 5th child of Angela and Richard Walsh, a homemaker and pastor respectively. He grew up in Lapeer, a small town outside of the larger city, and gradated from Lapeer High School in 1986. Walsh attended Michigan State University, from which he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Walsh worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for fifteen years from 1990 to 2005, stationed first in Washington, D.C. before working undercover in Post Cold War Germany in an effort to combat communist actors. He retired from the CIA as the Assistant Deputy Director under the Directorate of Operations. Adviser to the Vice President On Febuary 17, 2005, Walsh retired from the CIA in order to serve as a personal adviser to Vice President Charles Dickney. In his role as an adviser to Dickney, Walsh on occasion represented the Vice President at White House economic and domestic policy meetings, interacted with the business community on behalf of the Vice President, and assisted in the management of the Vice President’s policy staff. Walsh accompanied the Vice President on his visit to Afghanistan in 2007, and was in the company of Dickney when the Baghram Airfield Bombing occurred. Walsh served in his position as an official adviser for the remainder of the Administration, and is known to maintain a friendly relationship with his former boss. U.S House of Representatives 2010 Walsh announced his campaign for the seat of retiring Republican incumbent Carson Goodall on November 1, 2009, running against Former Cass City Councilman Charles Pinocht for the Republican nomination and pulling out a strong victory with 71.2% of the vote. '''Michigan's 10th Congressional District Republican Primary, 2010 ' In the General Election, Walsh faced off against State Senator Patrick Sanders and defeated him with 61.8% of the vote. '''Michigan's 10th Congressional District Election, 2010 2012 Walsh was reelected in 2012, once again facing off against Patrick Sanders and this time garnering 69.3% of the vote. Michigan's 10th Congressional District Election, 2012 2014 Walsh was challenged in the Republican Primary by "Compassionate Conservative" challenger Gary Sandover, a school superintendent who emphasized issues concerning public education and senior issues. Despite a well organized and grassroots campaign by Sandover, Walsh won the primary with 60.2% of the vote. Michigan's 10h Congressional District Republican Primary, 2014 The general election saw Walsh go up against Helen Fillipi, the Mayor of Crosswell. The two-term incumbent was re-elected to a third term with 67.1% of the vote. Michigan's 10th Congressional District Election, 2014 2016 Congressman Walsh was re-elected to a fourth term with a whopping 79.3% of the vote due to a split Democratic/Progressive vote and a depressed voter turnout among Democrats. Michigan's 10th Congressional District Election, 2016 Political Positions Domestic/Economic Issues Healthcare Walsh has been a vocal opponent of Universal Healthcare, saying it would "bankrupt the country" and "severely burden the working class." He has called the Affordable Care Act "Winston's greatest disaster" and has repeatedly voted for its repeal. Infrastructure Walsh has called for a national infrastructure plan and a revamping of the nation's existing roads and bridges, calling the current state of things "unacceptable". Taxation Walsh is in favor of a Flat Tax, though he has also spoken favorably of Consumption taxes. Trade Walsh's trade views have been characterized as both Protectionist and Pro-Free Trade by conflicting sources, though his voting record has shown more sympathy towards protectionist measures. Walsh has consistently called for modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Welfare Walsh is for the privatization of Social Security and a drastic reduction in Medicaid. He has called for raising the retirement age and allowing "personal philanthropy" to permanently take the place of "government handouts". Foreign Policy General Outlook Walsh has consistently spoken in favor of increasing the US military budget and protecting the interests of the United States. Israel Walsh has stressed the importance of the relationship between the United States and Israel strategically, and is in favor of a Two-State solution. NATO The congressman is a strong supporter of the NATO Alliance and believes it should be expanded if possible. North Korea Walsh is strongly against a preemptive strike on North Korea, saying that such a move would be "catastrophic for the South Koreans" and consistently insisting that the issues on the peninsula could largely be solved by increased Chinese cooperation. Syrian Conflict While Congressman Walsh has often weighed in on the Syrian Conflict for Cable News, he is not in favor of the deposition of Assad, claiming that such a move would be "counterproductive" in the fight against ISIS. Russia Having personally met Vladimir Putin while in the employment of Vice President Dickney, Walsh has characterized the man as "extremely intelligent" and "A threat to be taken very seriously." He believes the NATO Alliance is crucial to maintaining a balance in the region, and that increasing US military and economic aid to the Baltic nations should be a priority. Social Issues Abortion Walsh has described himself as "Pro-Life", but has supported exceptions in cases of Rape, Incest, or Direct Threat to the life of the mother. He was notably absent from the Chamber during the passage of the Women's Alternative Choices Act. Affirmative Action Walsh has been an extremely critical opponent of Affirmative Action, calling it "blatant racism" and claiming that its institution is a "stain on our public education system". In 2014, he proposed a resolution to condemn the practice, which never made it to vote, and in 2015, he proposed a bill seeking to outlaw the practice that was cut down in committee. Gun Rights Walsh is a supporter of the Second Amendment and has spoken against a ban on Semi-Automatic Rifles. Walsh is a card carrying member of the National Rifle Association. In Mid-2017, Walsh spoke out fervently against the Act Against the Noble Defense, claiming that it restricted the rights of citizens to defend themselves in life threatening situations. This view was mirrored by the NRA. Immigration Congressman Walsh is against Amnesty and has often characterized the current U.S. Immigration System as "broken", calling for a merit-based system similar to those implemented by Australia and Canada. LGBT Rights Walsh has consistently dismissed Gay Rights issues, saying in 2013 that "There are more important issues to worry about." and telling a local news reporter in 2014 that "That's not what my constituents care about right now." Following the landmark Supreme Court ruling in ''Obergefell v. Hodges, ''Walsh has been quoted as having said, "I hope that means I don't have to answer anymore questions on the matter." Personal Life Walsh is unmarried, and is believed to have a rather active romantic life. When asked in 2015 about a woman he was seeing who worked in the offices of Democratic Congressman Rod Johnson, he responded, "I didn't know the Constitution said I'm not allowed to date." Walsh is the owner of a Purebred Bengal cat named Gilligan. Walsh has not publicly expressed a religious affiliation, though he is noted to have attended a Methodist Easter service in April of 2015. Walsh is fluent in German and is a collector of artifacts and weaponry from the Pre-WW1 German Empire. Category:Republican Category:Representative